Day 8: Penetrating the dark

In my time overseas, I've witnessed child slavery, human trafficking and organized crime. Even here in the States, I've seen pregnant women addicted to crack, abusive relationships and exploitation.  It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the magnitude. By the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see something awful on the news or even worse in person.  Evil is dark. It sucks hope. It usurps our joy and makes us feel lost and alone.  

Light penetrates the darkness. We can with one small act of light defy the darkness that threatens to consume us. We have to choose light. We have to choose light over convenience, over complacency, over selfish ambition. I think it is easy to dismiss evil by saying it is too big and too far away to tackle. But truthfully, it is not that big nor that far away. It lurks under the surface until it boils up into something big and nasty. And if we had taken time to be light -- to offer a different path, to smile, to listen, to give hope -- then maybe she wouldn't turn to drugs. Maybe he wouldn't beat his wife. Maybe .... we cannot control the actions of others. But equally, we cannot control the ripple effects of offering light to a world that needs it. Sometimes the ordinary acts of kindness are nothing short of a miracle that someone is looking for.